Sergei Viktorovich Gonchar (Сергей Викторович Гончар, Sergej Gončar; born 13 April 1974 in Chelyabinsk, Soviet Union now Russia) is a Russian ice hockey player who currently plays in the NHL. He was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the 1st round of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft as the 14th overall selection. On 3 March 2004 Gonchar was traded to the Boston Bruins for Shaone Morrisonn and two draft picks in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Gonchar signed a 5-year $25 million deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins on 4 August 2005.
Before the 2004-05 league lockout, Gonchar was considered one of the best offensive defencemen in the NHL, making the All-Star team twice (2001 and 2002) with the Capitals and scoring more points than any other NHL defensemen from 2000 through 2004, with 74 goals and 241 points for Washington and Boston. He began the post-lockout era as the top defenseman on the Pittsburgh roster, with most fans expecting him to duplicate his stellar offensive production immediately. However, notorious for his slow starts, Gonchar's offensive numbers were disappointing in the first half of the 2005-06 season, earning him many boos from his new team's fans. Nevertheless, his play improved considerably in the latter half, allowing him to end the 2005-06 season as the 8th highest scoring defenseman. On Thursday February 22, 2008 Sergei Gonchar scored his 600th career point against the Montreal Canadiens. This goal was also his 50th point of the season giving Gonchar seven, 50 or more point seasons.
